Code relay selector



May 7, 1963 H. v. ALEXANDERSSON 3,089,011

CODE RELAY SELECTOR Filed May 19, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 villi); I

flrroR/wsms y 1963 H. v. ALEXANDERSSON 3,089,011

CODE RELAY SELECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 19, 1960 1 N VEN TOR.

WALD VALDEMAP ALEMND ES SON A 1- TokN YS United States PatentOfiice 3,089,01 l Patented May 7, 1963 The invention relates to cross bar switch arrangements known as code relay selectors. An arrangement of this kind is mainly characterized by anumber of, for example ten, connecting magnets with associated armatures, mounted in a row on a common mounting plate, andby .a code system comprising bars disposedlengthwise along the connecting relays, which bars at one lengthwise edge are provided with grooves, into which lifting rockers may engage. The lifting rockers selected by thecode system are then liftedby the armature and-actuate the associatedcontacts of a multiple. More specifically, there is known a code relay selector, where the contacts are actuated by the armature in its released position, that is,

when the magnet is demagnetized. With such a construction the current consumption decreases as the magnets do not require any holding current during a speech connection. The saving achieved in this manner isconsiderable and may reach about 30% of the current consumption of the whole exchange.-

Said construction has the disadvantage that the magnets must be made comparatively; strong because the. load is greatestwhen the armature is in a released position and thus its force of attraction is smallest. At. an economical construction the attraction force characteristic ought to follow as much as possible the load characteristic. Thepurpose of this invention is to provide a reliable construction that fulfills this requirement. This is substantially achieved in such a way that said armatures are arranged to actuate the contact springs by means of a knee-joint system which is so constructed that in the released position of an armature it lies in or almost in its self-locking position. An especially advantageous construction is obtained when the knee-joint consists of a lifting iron strip, which is connected to the armature and common to the lifting rockers of the armature, and of the lifting rocker selected by the code system.

The invention will now be illustrated more in detail with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the switching device in its rest or inactive position in which the armature of the device is released.

FIG. 2 shows the armature attracted and the code bars in a setting different from that of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows the armature attracted .and the code bars in the same setting as in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 shows the armature released and the code bars in the same setting as in FIG. 2.

In the drawing only those details which are necessary for an understanding of the invention have been shown. The construction and the operation of the other parts of the selector may be seen in British Patent 832,865.

The selector indicated in the drawing is in conformity with that shown in the British Patent 832,865 assembled on a mounting plate 2 extending along the length of the entire selector. The mounting plate is disposed perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing and mounts a number of connecting relays 1 with the associated armatures 3. For each such relay, there is provided a multiple which is not shown. Each multiple consists of a number of wire spring sets situated close to each other and provided with contact springs situated over each other. The springs of a group are actuated by means of a lifting bar 13 belonging to said group. Below each lifting bar, there is provided an L-shaped rocking arrangement 7 is pivotally mounted on a shaft' 9 extending along the length of the selector. A number ofmovable code bars 12 are extending along the'length of the selector.

These bars consist'of thin steel strips which attheir upperedgcs are provided with grooves according to a particular code system which in known manner for each connecting relay is arranged in such away that the grooves in all the barsin front of a particular lifting barcoincidewith a certain predetermined position on the bars. The bars are controlled by a number ofnot shown code relays.

In the'embodirnentof FIG. 4 shown in British Patent 832,865 the armature actuates-directly the lifting rockerv which thereby in its turn actuates the associated lifting bar. With the construction nowproposed, the armature 3'which is mounted lengthwise along the front-edge 4 of the mounting plate 2, is=by-means of a link 5 connected to a lifting ironstrip 6. Said lifting strip is. extending. perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing along the' length of allthe lifting rockers 7, for example. .17, asso-v ciated with anarmature; The lifting strip 6 is mounted.

ona shaft 8 and pivots :about this .shaft'when. the arma-. ture; is moving; The;lifting. rockers 7 that are mounted on the. shaft 9 by means ofanelongatedzopening 11, are: keptlpressedpdownwardly by means of .1 individual springs 10 so that theupper edgeof the oval opening.

abuts against the shaft,9. This applies'toalLthe' positions showniin FIGS. 1-3 but not to the position according to FIG. 4. Owing to theaction. of the spring 10 the lifting rockers'also tend'tomove in clockwise direction but are. stopped in their movement either by the lifting strip 6, accordingto-FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, or by one of thecodebarslZ, according .to FIG. 3; The armature 3. of therelay is heldinits rest position by a spring14.

The operation of the selector willnow be explained more in detail .with reference. to the. positions shown in the drawings. In FIG. 1 the connecting devices are in their rest position. The magnet 1 is thus demagnetized and its armature 3 is in 21 released position. The lifting rocker 7 abuts against the shaft a and is kept disengaged from the code bars 12 by the lifting strip 6. In FIG. 1 there is shown how the third of the six code bars is moved so that it has a tooth in front of the arm 15 of the lifting rocker which arm is turned to the side. The other five code bars show instead grooves right in front of the arm 15. If now the magnet 1 is energized, the armature 3 will be actuated and the lifting strip 6 is drawn aside, that is, with its upper parts to the left. The lifting rocker 7 then tries to follow but is stopped because the arm 15 is caught on the third code bar. Then the position will be achieved which is shown in FIG. 3. When hereafter the armature is released, the position of FIG. 1 returns. If now the code bar 3 is moved so that all code bars are situated with their grooves in front of the arm 15 of the lifting rocker, the position according to FIG. 2 will be obtained. The lifting rocker 7 follows the lifting strip 6 to a completely swung out position when the armature 3 is actuated. The lifting strip will then engage a groove 16 in the lower end of the lifting rocker and forms a knee-joint system with the same. When now the armature is released, the lifting rocker follows the lifting strip and is lifted upwards, whereby the bar 13 also is lifted upwardly and the associated contacts of the multiple are actuated. Bar 13 mounts lifting pins 22 coacting with ganged contact springs 21 to move the same into engagement with contacts 23 of the multiple. The position according to FIG. 4 then has been achieved. A return to the position according to FIG. 1, i.e from working position to rest positionptakes place across the position according to FIG. 3. i I

From FIG. 4 appears that the lifting bar 13 moves slowly in relation to the movement of the armature 3 when the bar is in its lifted position, in which the load is greatest, that is, all contact springs associated with the lifting bar are actuated. When the knee-joint system formed by the lifting rocker 7 and the lifting strip 6 passes over into the self-locking position shown in FIG. 4, in which the rocker 7 and the lifting strip 6 are situated approximately on a line, the movement of the lifting bar 13 decreases to zero. This means that the attractive force of the spring 14 may be kept on a low value as Well as the attraction force of the magnet in the released position of the armature. Thus a swifter actuation of armature 3 will be achieved and smaller magnets may be used.

I claim:

1. A switching device comprising at least a pair of relatively movable switch contacts, one contact of the pair being a spring contact, an actuating magnet including a movable armature, a lifting bar coacting with said spring contact for controlling the switching position thereof by the position of lift of the lifting bar, and transmission means coupling said armature with the lifting bar for moving the same into a lifted position in response to a movement of the armature into a position of release from the magnet, said bar in its lifted position deflecting the spring contact into engagement with the other contact of said pair, said transmission means including a first arm mounted pivotally about a stationary pivot point, a second arm mounted pivotally about a second stationary pivot point and longitudinally displaceable within predetermined limits With reference to its pivot point, said second arm coacting with said lifting bar to lift the same into a predetermined position of displacement with reference to its pivot point, said first and second arms coacting with each other to displace the second arm into said predetermined position by a pivotal movement of the first arm, said bar in its lifted position deflecting the spring contact into engagement with the other contact of said pair, and a link pivotally coupling the first arm to the armature to impart to the first arm said pivotal movement in response to the armature moving into the release position thereof, said arms locking each other and the lifting bar in the lifted position of the latter, thereby forming a knee-joint mechanism.

2. A switching device according to claim 1, wherein said first arm and said second arm are engageable with each other at their respective free ends to effect movement of the first arm by the pivotal movement of the second arm, said arms and said lifting bar occupying positions of substantially perpendicular alignment in said lifted position of the bar, thereby effecting locking of the arms and the bar.

3. A switching device according to claim 1, wherein a spring coacts with said armature to urge the same from an attracted position into the release position.

4. A switching device according to claim 1 and comprising a plurality of pairs of switch contacts in row arrangement, a second arm being provided for each of said pairs, said first arm being in the form of a bar extending lengthwise of said second arms and common to all of the second arms.

5. A switching device according to claim 4 and comprising selecting means including a settable code bar for each of the second arms, each of said code bars coacting with the respective second arm to control the position thereof with reference to the first arm for releasing and locking, respectively, the second arm for coaction with the first arm in accordance with the setting of the code bars.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 675,865 Starr June 4, 1901 1,050,021 Hewlett et a1 Jan. 7, 1913 1,543,825 Dobbin June 30, 1925 1,563,658 Richard Dec. 1, 1925 2,490,963 Hofgaard Dec. 13, 1949 2,714,631 Unk et al Aug. 2, 1955 2,784,275 Senn Mar. 5, 1957 

1. A SWITCHING DEVICE COMPRISING AT LEAST A PAIR OF RELATIVELY MOVABLE SWITCH CONTACTS, ONE CONTACT OF THE PAIR BEING A SPRING CONTACT, AN ACTUATING MAGNET INCLUDING A MOVABLE ARMATURE, A LIFTING BAR COACTING WITH SAID SPRING CONTACT FOR CONTROLLING THE SWITCHING POSITION THEREOF BY THE POSITION OF LIFT OF THE LIFTING BAR, AND TRANSMISSION MEANS COUPLING SAID ARMATURE WITH THE LIFTING BAR FOR MOVING THE SAME INTO A LIFTED POSITION IN RESPONSE TO A MOVEMENT OF THE ARMATURE INTO A POSITION OF RELEASE FROM THE MAGNET, SAID BAR IN ITS LIFTED POSITION DEFLECTING THE SPRING CONTACT INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OTHER CONTACT OF SAID PAIR, SAID TRANSMISSION MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST ARM MOUNTED PIVOTALLY ABOUT A STATIONARY PIVOT POINT, A SECOND ARM MOUNTED PIVOTALLY ABOUT A SECOND STATIONARY PIVOT POINT AND LONGITUDINALLY DISPLACEABLE WITHIN PREDETERMINED LIMITS WITH REFERENCE TO ITS PIVOT POINT, SAID SECOND ARM COACTING WITH SAID LIFTING BAR TO LIFT THE SAME INTO A PREDETERMINED POSITION OF DISPLACEMENT WITH REFERENCE TO ITS PIVOT POINT, SAID FIRST AND SECOND ARMS COACTING WITH EACH OTHER TO DISPLACE THE SECOND ARM INTO 